Machine for pressing sheet material



Jan. 16, 1951 R. c. DENNISON MACHINE FOR PRESSING SHEET MATERIAL 3Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 5, 1947 Woke/"r (use Henri/San EYS ATTORN 1951R. c. DENNISON 2,538,086

MACHINE FOR PRESSING SHEET MATERIAL Filed Feb. 5, 1947 s Shets-Sheet 2INVENTOR.

Case Den/71300 ATTOR Fig.2. 5

1951 R. c. DENNISON 2,538,085

MACHINE FOR PRESSING SHEET MATERIAL Filed Feb. 5, 1947 3 Sheets-Sheet 3INVENTOR. fioberf Case Den/71500 BYMM ATTORNEYS Patented Jan. 16, 1951UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,538,086 MACHINE FOR PRESSING SHEETMATERIAL Robert Case Dennison, Manchester, Conn.

Application February 5, 1947, Serial No. 726,569

3 Claims. 1

This invention relates to a machine for compressing and surfacefinishing sheet material such a as paper, paper board, leather and thelike. The

machine disclosed by way of example has been primarily contrived forcompacting and glazing paper board, and such use will be referred to indiscussing and describing the machine. It is to be understood, however,that such discussion and description is intended to be illustrative andthat the calendering of paper and paper board, and the rolling ofleather and other sheet material is contemplated.

A primary object of the invention is to provide a machine for producinga desired surface finish and density efficiently and dependably and at ahigh rate of output.

In accordance with a salient feature of the present invention, paperboard or other sheet material is fed through successive roller couples,each consisting of an upper roller and lower roller having enlargementsor collars provided at intervals, the widths of the collars, in the caseof a two couple set, being substantially equal to the widths of thespaces between collars, and the upper and lower collars of a couplebeingmatched and registered for bearing relation with one another.

The upp r rollers of each couple are desirably fixed against upwardmovement, and a hydraulic piston is provided at each end of each lowerroller for forcing the lower roller bearings upward. Adjustable stopsfor limiting upward movement of the bearings of the lower rollersdetermine the board gauge, causing an even and uniform product toemerge.

The first and second roller couples constitute a glazing or calenderingset or unit, the first couple serving to compress and glaze the paperboard along zones or stripes but leaving unglazed intervening zones orstripes of substantially equal width. The second couple acts similarlybut serves to compress and glaze the areas which were missed by thefirst couple. Roller couples of a second pair bear a similarcomplementary relation to one another but have their collars offsetsomewhat with relation to the collars of the first The fact that eachroller consists of a shaft with a series of spaced collars upon it,serves not only to enable the pressure per square inch to be increasedby applying the same total pressure over a lesser area, but it alsoserves a further very important function. Bearings can be provided foreach roller in the spaces between collars so that each roller issupported, backed up and re- 2 inforced at frequent intervals by a rigidbearing block. Sagging or yielding of the rollers is thus avoided, sothat a very high pressure can be applied evenly over the work engagingareas of the rollers.

It is a feature of the invention that hydraulic pressure mechanism isprovided below rather than above the rollers so that if any liquidescapes from a hydraulic cylinder it will not fall upon and soil the webnor be deposited upon a roller from which it might be transferred to theweb.

As a further means for protecting the web or work sheets, brushes areprovided at the introductory end of the machine and throats are providedfor covering, protecting and guiding the web or work sheets to each ofthe successive roller couples. In addition to the protective function ofthe throats, the throats enable individual work sheets to be passedthrough the machine from view being taken upon the line l-l of Fig. 2

looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken upon the line 2-2 of Fig. 1 looking inthe direction of the arrows;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken upon the line 33 of Fig. 2 looking inthe direction of the arrows; and

Fig. 4 is adiagrammatic view showing the passage of a work web from asupply reel, past the brushes and the roller couples and onto a take-upreel.

Referring first to Fig. 4, it will be noted that the paper board orother sheet material I is drawn from a supply reel 2, is passed over anidler roller 3, thence between upper and lower rotary brushes 4 and 5which travel counter to the travel of the web, and finally throughsuccessive roller couples 6, I, 8 and 9 and onto a take-up reel 1.,

The machine comprises a base II which pro- The base iurther includesflanges l4 and I! at the left and right sides oi. the machine.respectively. Through each of the flanges l4 and II a series 01' postsI! extends. there being two or the posts mounted on each flange for eachoi the roller couples of the machine. Each post 18 comprises a reducedlower end portion l8, the lower extremity ofwhich is threaded. Thereduced portion is inserted through the flange with the shoulder at theupper extremity of the reduced portion bearing against the flange. Thepost is clamped flrmly to the flange in an upright attitude by means ofa clamping nut 28 which is threaded onto the protruding lower extremityof the post.

Above the flange the two posts of an adjacent pair extend through ears2| of a bearing block 22. Each bearing block is engaged and operated bypistons 23 and 23a. which are located at opposite ends or the bearingblock and are disposed, respectively, in the cylinders l2 and IS. Thebearing blocks 22 are slidable upon the posts l8 being adapted to beurged upward by hydraullc pressure applied to the pistons in thecylinders l2 and I3. All of the cylinders communicate with a commonsource of liquid under pressure through main conduits Ho and branchconduits Ild, the admission and discharge of liquid being controlled forall cylinders by a single conventional valve mechanism (not shown) Thebearing block 22 carries the lower roller 25 of ,a roller couple. Theroller 25 is a unitary roller, consisting of a continuous shaft 24having a series of collars 24a provided upon it. The collars are ofsubstantially the same width as the spaces between collars. The ends ofthe shaft and the portions of the shaft intervening between collars areall supported unyieldingly in axial alignment with one another by thebearing block. The bearing block provides lower half bearings for eachof these bearing portions of the shaft, and a complementary half bearing26 is provided in each instance, being clamped to the bearing block bybolts 21.

Upward movement of the bearing block 22, and hence of the roller carriedby it, is limited by tive posts 18. Lock nuts 28a, also threaded on theposts l8, ilx the stop nuts 28 in desired positions.

The posts l8 have threaded upper end portions thereof screwed throughupper bearing blocks 29, the posts being passed through ears 38 of thebearing blocks. Each bearing block 28 carries an upper roller 31 whichis a unitary roller consisting of a continuous shaft 32 having a seriesof spaced collars 33. The shaft and collar construction'is the same asthat of the lower roller which has already been described, and themounting of the upper roller in the bearing'block 29 is the same as that01' the lower roller in the bearing block 22'. The bearing sections ofthe shaft at the ends of the shaft and in the spaces between successivecollars are rotatably secured in axial alignment with one another,bearing block 29 providing half bearings, and complementary halfbearings 34 being provided in each instance and secured to the bearingblock through bolts 35.

Each bearing block 29 is normally supported in fixed position on theposts l8. Lock nuts 38 are threaded upon reduced upper end portions ofthe posts I8 and engage with the upper hearing blocks 29. The nuts arethreaded right down into engagement with shoulders formed on the postsI8 so that the nuts form definitely located stops for engagement withthe bearing blocks 28.

When the lower bearing block 22 is urged upward by hydraulic pressureand there is no work sheet or web in the machine, the bearing block 22stands in engagement with the stop nuts 28,

and the bearing block 28 is held in engagement.

with the stop nut 88. The web or work sheet to be introduced is ofgreater thickness than the space intervening between the rollers 28 andII. The width oi this space is equal to the thickness to which the webor work sheet will be compressed by its passage through the couple. whenthe web or work sheet is passed through a roller couple with thepressure on, the zones or stripes acted upon are compressed. Byreadjustment or the nuts 28 the thickness to which the paper board willbe compressed can be changed.

The description which has been given or the rollers and associatedmechanism is equally applicable to any one of the roller couples and itsbearing block. These couples difler from one another, however, in thedisposition of the collars adjustable stop nuts 28 threaded on therespecupon the rollers. The collars oi. roller couple I arecomplementary to the collars of roller couple 8. In other words, thestripes not compressed by roller couple 8 are compressed by rollercouple I, the combined ellect oi the two roller couples being tocompress and glaze the web throughout the width thereof.

Roller couples 8 and 9 similarly constitute a complementary pair forgiving the web or sheet a second pressing. The collars oi couple 8 arenot exactly aligned with the collars either of couple 6 or couple I, andhence overlap the areas compressed by both of them. The rollers ofcouples 8 and 9 if desired may be arranged to compress the paper boardthinner than the rollers 5 and I compress it. This result can be broughtabout by appropriate adjustment-oi the limit nuts 28 associated with thelower bearing blocks of roller couples 8 and 8.

Since the paper board is compressed by the roller couples 8 and I, it issomewhat elongated and should be driven at a slightly higher peripheralspeed by roller couples 8 and 8 than it is by the roller couples 6 andI. The drive is to the upper rollers, and each upper roller drives thelower roller associated with it. The upper roller 31' having fast uponit a gear 4| which runs in driving engagement with a gear 42 fast uponthe lower roller 23.

As best seen in Fig. 2, the upper roller 01 couple 6 is driven through achain 43 and a. sprocket 44. The drive is transmitted from the upperroller of couple 6 to the upper roller of couple 'I through sprockets 45and 46 and a chain 41. The upper roller of couple 8 is driven through achain 48a and a sprocket 48. The drive is transmitted from the upperroller of couple 8 to the upper roller of couple 9 through sprockets 88and 58 and a chain 5|. The sprocket 48 is driven at a slightly higherspeed than the sprocket 48, ,consistent with the different thicknessesof the paper board as it emerges from the respective pairs of rollercouples.

At the introductory end of the machine there is provided a pair ofbrackets 52 secured to the lower bearing block 22 of the first couple bybolts 58. These brackets carry upper and lower brushes 4 and 5 which aredriven in the direction opposite to the travel of the web. The purpose01' the brushes is to dust off and clean the web. Each upper bearingblock 28 carries two angle brackets 58 upon which a guide plate 51 issecured. Each lower bearing block 22 carries two angle brackets ll uponwhich a guide plate II is secured. The guide plates 51 and I8 converge,forming a throat through which the web is guided to the associatedroller couple. The iirst throat covers and protects the web and guidesit from the brushes to the first roller couple 6. The next throatsimilarly covers, protects and guides" the web from the roller couple 8to the roller couple "I. The ensuing throats act in a similar manner.

The throats serve not only to protect the web but they serve to protectand to guide individual work sheets through the machine from rollercouple to roller couple when it is desired to operate upon individualsheets rather than upon a web. The throats serve also to facilitate theintroduction of the leadingend of a work web into the machine. Forexample, the web can be first fed through the roller couples with thepressure on, the pressure can then be relieved, the web straightened,and the pressure reappliedx By virtue of the arrangement described, andparticularly by making up complementary roller couples so that eachcouple compresses and glazes only selected stripes, the pressure perunit area can be .doubled or trebled or even further multiplied for agiven total pressure depending upon whether two, threeor more rollercouples are provided to make up a single complementary set. Not only isthe pressure concentrated, but by supporting the rollers at frequentintervals in the large rigid bearing blocks a very high pressure can beexerted and transmitted uniformly to the aflected areas, there being novariation of pressure, of thickness, nor of surface quality resultingfrom sagging, bending or other yielding of the rollers. i

The rate of production of the presentmachine is very much greater thanthe rates of output of the most rapid glazing machines known to theprior art.

I have described what I believe to be the best embodiments of myinvention. I do not wish, however, to be confined to the embodimentsshown, but what I desire to cover by Letters Patent is set forth in theappended claims.

I claim:

1. In a pressing machine for a work web or sheet of fibrous material, incombination, a set fof roller couples, each couple composed of opposed,unit'ary rollers, and each unitary roller having a series of collarsseparated bYbearing portions, the collars of the opposed rollers thatform each couple being disposed in registering relation so that the workweb or sheet? is compressed along a series of stripes by each rollercouple, and a rigid bearing structure for each ,roller, rigidlysupporting the roller at its ends and in the bearing portions betweenits adjacent collars. the roller couples being disposed in complementaryrelation so that the entire work sheet or web is compressed by theirconjoint action.

2. in a pressing machine for a workweb of fibrous material, incombination, a pair of roller couples, each couple composed oi opposed,unitary rollers, and each unitary roller having a series or collarsseparated by bearing portions, the collars of the opposed rollers thatform each couple being disposed in registering relation so that the webis compressed by each couple along a series of stripes representingsubstantially half the total width of the web, a rigid bearing structurefor each roller rigidly supporting the roller at its ends and in thebearing portions between its adjacent collars, the roller couples beingdisposed in complementary relation so that the entire web is compressedby their conjoint action.

3. A pressing machine for fibrous sheet material comprising, incombination, a roller couple including upper and lower rollers havingseries of cooperating collars separated from one another by bearings, arigid upper bearing block in which all the bearings of the upper rollerare rotatably secured in axial alignment with one another, a rigid lowerbearing block in which all the bearings of the lower roller arerotatably secured in axial alignment with one one .another, powermechanism for urging one of the bearing blocks toward the other, saidother bearing block being held firmly in a predetermined positionagainst pressure exerted from the first through the rollers, and stopmechanism for limiting movement of the first bearing block toward theother to determine the uniform thickness to which the web will becompressed by the collars.

ROBERT CASE DENNISON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED sures Pll'rnu'rs

